High pathogenicity avian influenza virus H5N1 clade 2.3.4.4b in Antarctica: Multiple Introductions and the First Confirmed Infection of Ice-Dependent Seals
Jane L. Younger, Laura Patier, Talia Brav‐Cubitt, André van Tonder, Augustin Clessin, Jamie Coleman, Jessica Farrer, Clive R. McMahon, Amandine Gamble, Nicholas M. Fountain‐Jones
This study confirms the first H5N1 infection in Antarctic ice-dependent seals and identifies multiple introductions of the virus in the region.
bioRxiv · Jan 6, 2026 · PreprintEcology